News.Scotland.Org

Scotland, Oct 30: After a series of search operation, the Edinburgh police seized dozens of knives from revellers outside pubs and clubs. Hand held metal detectors were used for the searching around 2500 people as part of the three-week long campaign.

In total 36 weapons were seized on the spot, shedding light on the fact that one among 70 revellers in the town were carrying knife with them. The search operation was carried out as part of the Safer Scotland Campaign aimed at targeting violent crime. Apart from knives 70 bladed weapons including an axe, a cleaver and a scythe were also handed over in the Lothians police station. In 2006, 455 people were arrested in connection with weapons carrying in Lothian and Borders.

Inspector Neil Phillip, the Lothian and Borders liaison officer for the Safer Scotland campaign, while commenting on this said: ” The priority of this campaign was to get as many weapons as possible out of circulation and so we worked with bouncers at nightclubs in the city centre to set up searches there, as well as checking pubs and clubs across the area.”

The seized weapons along with 34 other weapons including hammers, bats and metal poles were sent to be destroyed.

Mike Bridgman, councillor of Craigmillar said: “The knife culture in Edinburgh was completely out of order. It is madness that in this society some people think it is all right to go around carrying knives and I would hope that we can sweep away that belief and eradicate that culture of knife crime. I fully support the police effort in this.”

Iain Whyte, Councillor and the chairman of the Lothian and Border Police Board hailed the result of the search operation. He further added that: “It is very encouraging to hear that so many knives were handed over to the police, and that a number of knives were taken from people at the point when they could have posed a real threat to others.”

The success of this search hunt is the recognition to the hard work of the Police officers across Scotland and it will help in restricting the knife culture in Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. The next stage of the Safer Scotland campaign will give focus on Alcohol Fuelled Violence that will begin from December.

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